Scattered Pieces
by PetiteRedK
Summary: Grueling night terrors, voices whispering in his mind, taunting and laughing. Being the target of a powerful, dark new foe, Tai struggles to keep sane and still be a strong leader for his friends. Tensions rise and friendships are put to the test-can any of them help him?
1. Prologue

Hey all, I've been bouncing this idea around in my head for awhile, thought I'd finally write it out. This takes place in season 2 in some random time. It's after the Christmas concert though. Ken is a good guy, and in my timeline none of the other drama has started yet. I'll probably being taking a few liberties and changing a couple things, but for the most part it will be sticking strictly with the show's characters, themes, etc. I'll mainly be sticking to the English names and such as well.

I've always thought Tai was a great character, so when they revamped the series with Season 2 I was quite excited to see how Tai would develop as an older leader. I was disappointed with the introduction of the new Digidestined (although I do like Daisuke/Davis) because I was looking forward to more character development with the original Digidestined.

I've also really thought that it would be a great focus to see the Digidestined themselves singled out and targeted, especially in the "safety" of the real world. The "bad Digimon" always fight the Digidestined head-on, but I thought it'd be a better focus to go after the kids themselves more since they're so vulnerable instead of just fighting their partners. So this idea was born.

Here's the intro, more chapters to come soon. Obvious disclaimer—I do not own Digimon or any of its characters. I welcome critiques, ideas and any errors you find. Enjoy.

*Warning—I do have a few violent/graphic scenes (not many in this intro) so be aware of that if such things bother you.

Prologue

"_Hello…? Kari? Agumon? Anyone?" A chill swept through him, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He hugged his arms tightly against himself, his bare arms prickling. He had no idea where he was, and no recollection as to how he got there. He was in a desolate landscape, painted in grays and black. He was alone, no other sign of life. His breaths came out in small white puffs._

"_Courage…"_

_Tai whipped around. He could have sworn he heard…_

"_Courage…Courage…."_

_Whispers danced around him, taunting him. Tai could feel a heaviness in the air. It was a terrible feeling he had never felt before. It was dark, and evil._

_Clenching his fists, Tai took a step forward._

"_Who is there? Show yourself!"_

"_Courage…Digidestined…_

_Tai couldn't ignore the sense of alarm that was consuming him. He felt threatened._

_Then as suddenly as he found himself there in the first place, the scenery around him shifted, and he found another scene before him._

_It looked like he was in the Digital World, and the other Digidestined were there, looking worse for wear with their partners. Before Tai could call to them he noticed their eyes were focused elsewhere, they didn't even seem to notice him. Turning, he found…himself. This Tai was wearing a gray shirt, black jacket and black jeans. His eyes…it was his eyes that caught his attention the most. They looked wrong. It was almost as if they were devoid of life, empty of anything—dull and emotionless. _

_Kari stepped toward the other Tai, her hand outstretched._

"_Tai, please stop this! This is wrong! I love you Brother!" _

_Sora stepped closer, her eyes filled with tears._

"_Tai, what is wrong with you, why are you doing this?"_

_The other Tai just blinked. Without sparing a glance at the Digimon at his side he responded, his hand holding out a strange Digivice._

"_Kill them."_

_Without hesitation Agumon digivolved. Tai was horrified when the light retracted to find Skullgreymon in his place._

_Tai felt sick. What was this? A nightmare? _

"_No…stop! Kari move! Sora! Everyone!"_

_Tai could only watch as Skullgreymon raced forward. Before anyone could react, his massive foot came down on Sora, completely crushing her. The other Tai just watched with a passive expression as Biyomon screamed and threw herself at the monstrosity before being quickly deleted._

_The others tried to fight but were immediately thrown back. The Digimon then turned toward Kari._

_Tai felt his stomach lurch. He ran toward her, but he wasn't getting any closer to her._

"_Run Kari! Run!" She did not look at him, her eyes locked onto Skullgreymon. Her eyes drifted to the other Tai. Despite the situation, she still held out hope and trusted that he would not harm her._

"_Taichi?"Kari tilted her head at her brother, before turning back with wide eyes as Skullgreymon descended upon her._

_Tai screamed as Skullgreymon grabbed Kari in his fist, bringing her up to eyelevel as Kari desperately tried to wiggle out of his grasp. Gatomon propelled herself at Skullgreymon, but he quickly disposed of her in one hit. Kari yelled out Gatomon's name in tears. The other Tai remained unmoving._

"_KARI NOOOO!" Tai continued to struggle toward them, but it felt like everything was happening in slow motion._

_Skullgreyman no longer hesitated before tossing the girl into his mouth._

_Tai collapsed to his knees, feeling sick at the sound of bones crunching. In a rage he found his footing and raced at the other Tai, ready to attack him, no longer aware of the rest of his surroundings._

"_How could you? HOW COULD YOU?" _

_Before he could reach his doppleganger, Tai felt something hit him, knocking him off his feet. Struggling off the ground and panting hard, he found himself alone yet again with no signs of the others or Skullgreymon, his face caked with tears._

"_Courage…Courage…you will kill them all." The mysterious voices were back._

"_Kill…kill…kill them all."_

_Tai narrowed his eyes at the whispers. _

"_Who are you? I would NEVER hurt my friends! Ever!" _

_The whispers turned into a scalding, mocking laughter that echoed endlessly around him. _

_The images of Skullgreymon killing his friends appeared, repeating again and again. Unable to process it, Tai could only scream._

Kari had awoken with a start, along with her parents as screams filled their apartment. Feeling dazed, she nearly fell out of bed. Registering that it was her brother, fear filled her heart and she stumbled to Tai's room, Gatomon at her heels.

With her parents trailing behind in alarm, Kari burst into Tai's room. Her eyes widened, seeing him thrashing around in his bed like he was being attacked, screaming at the top of his lungs.

Quickly making her way to his side she grabbed his shoulder.

"Tai. Tai. TAI! WAKE UP TAI!" she thought for a moment when he didn't respond. Seeing no other choice, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face, hard.

That did the trick. Tai gasped, sitting up in bed looking around wildly. Seeing Kari, he launched himself at her.

"Oh my God Kari you're okay! You're really okay!" He held her tightly, shaking. Gatomon was looking at them wide-eyed, not knowing what to do. Kari shushed him soothingly.

"Tai…shhhh. It was only a dream. Everything is okay now."

Images flashed in Tai's mind of what he had seen, and he quickly shoved Kari away and grabbed a trashcan next to his bed. Kari rubbed his back as he heaved into the can. All he could see was blood. So much blood. And the bone cracking seemed to continually resonate in his head.

"Oh my God. Oh my God." Tears burned his eyes as he tried to block it all out.

Kari assured her parents that Tai would be okay and herded them out—she knew they would be of no help with this.

"Tai? Are you okay?" She had never seen him like this before. Whatever he had dreamed, it must have been bad. He shuddered as she wrapped her arms around him.

"It's okay Tai. I'll stay in here with you until you fall back asleep."

Kari perched on the bed as Tai wordlessly laid back down. She stroked his hair and began to lightly sing, hoping to calm him down. She glanced at the clock—2:14 am. She sighed, knowing it would be a long night.

Tai awoke the next morning at the sound of Kari pounding on his door.

"Tai it's time to get up-time for school sleepy head. I have some breakfast waiting for you!"

He sluggishly pulled himself out of the comfort of his blankets and trudged to the bathroom. The rest of the night had been peaceful enough, but he had a restless sleep. Looking at himself in the mirror, he had to admit he looked pretty bad. He had big bags under his eyes, which were also bloodshot.

"Lovely." He said to himself.

Half an hour later, he took a deep breath as he left for school with his sister. He needed to get a grip. It was just a nightmare.


	2. Chapter 1 - Stalker

Author's Note:

Alright, so on to Chapter 1. Sorry its on the shorter side, I'm a bit busier this week than I thought I would be.

One thing I'm playing with is Kari's personality. She's always depicted as so perfect and sweet, but I wanted to make her a bit more complex. She's just hitting puberty and entering those fabulous teenage years, so she's going to be a bit more "feisty" in this series. She's going to have flaws like most people, as she's growing up, asserting some independence and trying to figure herself out-but she is still the child of light, so I think her true character will always ultimately shine through, so if you like her sweet personality don't be too scared off by my depiction of her.

I haven't decided if there will be any romance. I was really off-put about the whole Sora/Matt pairing, as that seemed completely randomly thrown in. Not sure if I'll incorporate that or any Tai/Sora in this—any thoughts or feedback on that is welcome. If there is any romance it won't be the main focus. Some mentions of Matt/Sora and TK/Kari can be expected.

Also, there will be violence and some strong language—I mean, they're in high school. I'm trying to insert it naturally so it will just flow with the characters and not sound stupid or distracting.

Finally, if you're fans of the younger Digidestined they are unfortunately going to be taking side roles here. My main focus is on Kari, Joe, Mimi (who lives in Japan in this special universe of mine and does not have pink/starry hair, she looks like a more mature version of her younger self), Matt, Izzy, Tai, Sora and of course TK.

Also, in this Universe of mine there aren't Digidestined all over the world. I thought that was dumb. The only ones here are the original crew and the younger ones.

Obvious Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Rated T for violence, language and some dark themes.

Chapter 1 – Stalker

Kari shoved her head deeper under her pillow with a frustrated growl. She was trying in vain to block out the thrashing and yelling in the room next door. It had been two weeks since the nightmares had started, and there had yet to be a break. Every single night without fail Kari found herself startled awake from a deep sleep. She had been sympathetic to her brother, as she could tell he was having a rough time with the dreams. He looked exhausted every day, but he put a smile on his face each time and reassured her he was fine—he wouldn't talk about what he saw each night, claiming he had no memory of any of it (which Kari immediately called bullshit on).

As the third week of sleepless nights was rolling around Kari found that her patience was starting to wear thin. Not only were his nightmares disruptive to her own sleep, but being jolted awake each night to blood curdling screams was alarming and scary.

Gatomon was sitting at the foot of her bed, her ears twitching in annoyance. She too was quickly losing her sympathy for Tai's situation.

"Kari, are you going to wake him up?"

Kari peered out from under the pillow.

"No way. Isn't that why we asked Koromon to come stay with us here for awhile? He is supposed to be the one taking care of this!"

Gatomon snorted.

"Well he is not doing a good job right now. Didn't your brother go to see a human for this condition?" Kari shrugged, rolling over to face her partner.

"He did go to the doctor. The doctor says that they are called night terrors, but that they are more common in kids. He said there isn't much to be done except ride them out and that Tai should outgrow them."

Gatomon frowned just as the screams died down, Koromon's loud voice echoing through the wall. Kari sighed and shoved her head back under her pillow.

The next morning Tai found himself shoveling toast into his mouth as he threw his school uniform on. Kari had decided not to bother to wake Tai up for school, and he predictably slept through his alarm.

He shot her a look as she carefully sipped juice at the table.

"Jeeze Kari you could have woken me!" She shrugged without responding. As Tai threw a few lunch items from the fridge into his bag, a grin tugged at his lips.

"Hey Sis, remember my big game is tonight after school. There are going to be college recruiters so I'm going to need my support crew there looking sharp to give me some support!" He struck a little pose as Koromon bounced around him in excitement.

"Tai Tai Tai I want to come! Can I? Can I?" Tai crossed his arms, apparently considering it.

"Well, I don't know Koromon...haha just kidding. Of course you can come-but you have to go to school with me in my gym bag." Koromon's expression shifted from pure joy immediately to a look of disgust.

"Tai no! Your gym bag smells bad!" Their light banter was interrupted by Kari.

"Hey Tai? Actually, I have plans after school today. But everyone else will be there, and I already know you'll be awesome as usual. You'll be great!" Kari shifted in her chair a bit, appearing a bit uncomfortable. Tai crossed his arms, leaning back against the counter.

"Plans? But Kari this is the most important soccer game. If I play well I could potentially get a scholarship! You have to be there, you're my biggest fan! What are you doing that is so important anyway?"

Kari huffed and stood up sharply.

"I have a special date with TK if you must know. Look, I know your game is important, but I have seen you play soccer for years. It won't be a big deal if I'm not there. I'm not really missing anything Tai." A look of hurt flashed on Tai's face.

"It is a big deal! Mom and Dad aren't going. I need someone from my family there to cheer me on! Can't you guys go on your date afterward? Also, since when are you and TK dating? Aren't you a little young for that?" That did it. Kari's face flushed a bit.

"That is none of your business Tai. I can date who and whenever I want! You're not my father! And you're a big boy, you don't need a cheerleading squad. The school already provides one you know. Hope your game goes well. Goodbye." She replied in a terse voice. With that she turned around abruptly, scooped up her backpack and marched out the front door with Gatomon, slamming it behind her.

"What is wrong with your sister Tai? That was mean!" Koromon said indignantly. Tai sighed, throwing his bag over his shoulder.

"I don't know. I think she's mad that I keep waking her up at night. I feel bad about that. I think she's just grumpy. Don't worry, I know she'll be at my game. She's being a brat right now, but she knows how important this is to me." Koromon eyed him skeptically.

"Okay Tai. I guess you're probably right." Suddenly Tai paled and grabbed Koromon, gently shoving him into his gym bag despite the little pink blob's protests.

"Enough talk buddy we have to go NOW!"

As Tai tried to elegantly navigate his way through hordes of people to get to school, he couldn't seem to shake the feeling that he was being watched. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he couldn't help but glance over his shoulder every few minutes. Still, all he saw were normal people chatting, drinking coffee or listening to their music as they all maneuvered together.

As Tai waited at a light, his eyes drifted around, before being draw to a curious figure across the street. Standing near the front of the crowd waiting to cross the street, and sticking out like a sore thumb to boot, was a tall figure wearing a baggy black cloak with the hood drawn up. Tai squinted, trying to make out their face, but all he saw were shadows obscuring it. The figure reminded Tai of the grim reaper and gave him chills. Nobody else gave the person a second glance from what he could tell, which he thought was strange. A car passed in front of him, and he was surprised to find the figure no longer there once his eyes refocused to it. Scratching his head, Tai wrote it off as him desperately needing a full night's sleep.

The light changed, and Tai continued on.

"Whew Koromon, we're going to make it!" Tai breathed a sigh in relief as the school came into view. He was nearly to the doors when two voices stopped him.

"Hey Tai wait up!" Turning, he saw Sora and Matt jogging toward him. He started to wave back when he noticed something. Behind Sora and Matt, just standing there facing him, was that same cloaked figure. Tai took a deep breath, trying to rationalize what he was seeing, fighting a strong sense of foreboding. He prodded his gym bag, Koromon stuffing his face out a little bit.

"What is it Tai?"

"Um, Koromon, do you sense anything weird nearby? And do you see that person that looks weird over there behind Matt and Sora?" Koromon twisted around, and immediately let out a low growl at spotting the figure. Tai took a step backward with uncertainty at Koromon's reaction.

"Koromon?" Sora and Matt were suddenly in front of them, hand in hand. Sora tucked a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear as Matt said a cool "Hey."

"Good morning Tai. Looks like we're all late today. Whoops!" She let out a giggle, then noticed his silence. He was looking over her shoulder, a look of dismay on his face. Tai was not shocked this time to see that the figure had vanished.

"Uh, hey guys. I have to get to class." Tai quickly retreated into the school, feeling their questioning stares on his back. After finally getting to his first class and settling in, he let himself think about the figure. Was there really a figure? Was he going crazy? Who was it? What did they want? Why didn't anyone else seem to see it? He shook his head. He needed to talk to Koromon. Koromon had definitely seen it too, so he was for sure not losing his mind.

The day seemed to just drag. Tai was feeling antsy by the time lunch rolled around. He quickly made his way outside, and setup lunch a ways away under his favorite tree for some privacy. He opened his gym bag, which Koromon abandoned immediately.

"Ugh Tai that was so horrible I am NOT going back in there! Tai I'm hungry. Tai do you have any food?" Koromon babbled. Tai couldn't help but grin at his little friend.

"Sure Koromon. Here's a few sandwiches I made you this morning. Say Koromon, what do you think of that person we saw this morning?" Koromon, who was in the process of wolfing down the offered sandwiches like he hadn't eaten in months, took a deliberate pause and looked at Tai thoughtfully.

"Well Tai, to be honest, I don't think that was a person. I felt something really dark and bad, and I think I smelled a Digimon. We should tell the others, because I think something bad is going to happen." Tai's furrowed his brow. So Koromon had the same feelings about the whole thing that he did.

Suddenly, Tai felt a chill sweep through him. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach. He felt a presence behind him, and Koromon, who was in his lap at the moment, had tensed up.

"_Courage…"_

Tai jumped to his feet and whirled around. Confronting him….was nothing but trees. Tai inhaled a steady breath and took a few steps forward.

"Hey! Who is there? Hello?" he waited a moment. Nothing.

"Tai, there you are!" Approaching them were once again, Matt and Sora. Except Mimi was with them this time, her long hair pulled up into a sloppy bun. She winked and gave a small wave.

"Tai, we were looking for you for lunch! Oh, hey Koromon. So that's why you're hiding over here!" Tai exchanged looks with Koromon. Should they tell them? Sora tilted her head.

"Are you okay Tai? You've been acting weird today. What was up with you this morning?" Tai laughed awkwardly, lightly scratching his head.

"Eh, sorry about that. Just nervous about tonight. You know, big game and all. Speaking of, you guys are coming to cheer me on right?" Mimi grinned.

"I'll be there of course!" Sora and Matt smiled apologetically.

"Sorry Tai, but Matt has a concert tonight. Is that okay? Sorry, we forgot to tell you!" Tai swallowed his disappointment, remembering his conversation with his sister earlier that day.

"Oh sure guys. It's really no big deal. Soccer is soccer right?"

_They're laughing at you…_

Tai stiffened as the strange whispering filled his head. His friends were laughing away; apparently nobody else had heard it. He felt confused. Were they laughing at him? Had he thought that?

_They'll suffer…_

Okay, that was definitely not his own thoughts. Trying not to panic, Tai closed his eyes, trying to reason. The voice was the same one from his nightmares. Should he say something? Would they believe him? Maybe he was going insane.

"_Courage…" _

A wave of dizziness washed over him. Opening his eyes in panic, he tried to tell Sora, but she wasn't looking at him and his voice was apparently no longer working. His world seemed to tilt on its axis to the side. Tai struggled to find his footing, but his body felt unstable and weak.

The next thing he knew, Tai found himself on the ground with a throbbing headache and his friends huddled around him, staring worriedly.

"Look he's coming around you guys!" Mimi piped up. Tai cringed at the high pitch in her voice.

"Argh. What? Guys?" He managed to mumble. Matt helped haul him to his feet.

"Woah, steady Tai. You don't look so good. We should take you to the nurse." Tai shook his head.

"No, I feel a lot better now. I just haven't been sleeping well. Maybe I should skip next period and take a nap, don't you think?" Tai wiggled his eyebrows and laughed. Nobody laughed with him. Matt ran a hand through his hair.

"You know Tai, your exhaustion aside, you really have been acting weird. This is awkward to ask but…um, are you really okay with Sora and I dating? You just seem depressed is all." Matt trailed off. Sora nodded.

"That's right. Like when you ran off this morning. We're not trying to rub it in your face you know that right?"

Tai rubbed his temples. The day was not turning out well. He couldn't decide if he felt more horrified by their assertions or humiliated. He wanted to tell them about the weird things that had been happening, but now he just wanted to hide under a rock. For her part, Mimi looked incredibly uncomfortable with the turn in conversation.

"No, of course not. Honestly, I have had a lot on my mind lately, but I promise it has nothing to do with you guys. I really am happy for you two. I'm sorry if I haven't been showing it. Like I said, I'm just really nervous about tonight. I have to get going though, I really would like to get a small nap in before lunch ends!" Tai chose his words carefully. He decided he could call a meeting with everyone and tell them all together and solicit some ideas. The others nodded, wishing him luck for his game.

The rest of the day, while slow, came and went uneventfully. Tai was physically feeling a lot better. In fact, he felt quite energetic and was pumped for his game.

"Tai I just know you're gonna win! I'm so excited! Can we go get pizza after please please?" Koromon rattled off as Tai pulled on his team jersey. They had waited until the rest of the team had gotten ready and left before going into the locker room. Tai smirked.

"Maybe." A knock distracted them. Davis appeared at the door.

"Hey Tai. I'm here to pick up Koromon. We're going to be the loudest fans in the stands!" He pumped his fist in excitement.

"Eh, okay. Thanks Davis for looking after him. See you after the game!" Davis scooped up Koromon and left with a whoop and he made his way back toward the stands.

Heading onto the field, Tai quickly zeroed in on his "fan club." It consisted of Davis and Mimi. Tai reassured himself that they were just early, and everyone else would arrive quickly. It was fine that Matt and Sora couldn't make it. Surely his other friends would, they knew this was really important. Plus, this would be a great game, it was with their biggest rival.

He reoriented himself, trying to get focused as his team huddled and gave a cheer. It was game on!

It was halfway through the game when Tai took another break on the sidelines. He was pumped—his team was winning, and playing very well together. All their plays were just flowing perfectly and seamlessly. The other team was tough, but seemed to be struggling today, which was fine with him.

"Whooooo Tai! Yeahhh!" Tai grinned at the cheering. He had been disappointed to see that nobody else had decided to attend his game, but he had to admit that Mimi and Davis were loud enough to make up for it.

"Tai, you're back in—get going!" His coach yelled over at him. Taking one last swig of water, Tai tossed the water bottle aside.

"On it Coach!"

The game finally ended—it ended up being a landslide much to Tai's delight. Tai laughed and cheered with his team. It felt pretty good to win like that, and he decided he would go out for pizza. His teammate Kousuke high-fived him.

"Man that was awesome! That last goal you shot was killer Tai!" he chattered on.

_Digidestined._

'Damn it all!' Tai thought irritably. Now what? He felt that same presence. It felt heavy and threatening, making his heart speed up. His breathing increased—he felt like he just couldn't breathe well and needed more air.

Over Kousuke's shoulder he thought he spied a black cloak…

"TAI!" blinking rapidly, Tai jumped back when he noticed Kousuke right up in his face.

"Dude what is WRONG with you? Have you even heard a word I said?" Tai shook his head sheepishly.

"Sorry man, I guess I'm just a bit out of it. I'm going to get going I think. I'll see you later." Kousuke nodded with a big smile on his face.

"You do look like shit Tai. Go get some sleep. But make sure you're at practice tomorrow—Coach is going to give us the scoop on the recruiters!"

"Cool." With that Tai joined Mimi and Davis, who were both talking a million miles a minute about how fantastic the game was and how great they all played (especially Tai of course, Koromon joined in).

They cheered when Tai announced pizza plans for celebrating their victory. As they set off Tai couldn't help but keep a keen eye on his surroundings. Nothing looked out of place or suspicious.

He made a mental note to call Izzy after he said goodbye to Mimi and Davis. He had a feeling that Izzy would be able to make sense of everything.


	3. Chapter 2 - Sticks and Stones

Author's Note:

Thanks for the lovely reviews thus far. And hey to everyone out there silently reading –waves-.

Getting this chapter started has been difficult. I couldn't decide whether to introduce the "bad guys" yet and their agenda. But I decided to draw it out more and flesh it out.

I wanted to get this next chapter out before the weekend. I'm going out of state for a few days and won't be back to writing until next week.

I'm enjoying portraying Tai in a more mature light. I think it was hinted to a few times in Season 2 how much he had grown up. He can still be a hothead or not think things through but I don't think he's as bad as a lot of fellow writers portray. Like, I don't think he would be absolutely devastated over Sora choosing not to date him.

Also, just a warning—more dream sequences ahoy! I love writing them. Trying to find new ways for the evil Digimon to mess with Tai has been entertaining to me. I think my love of horror and psychological thrillers is starting to show through.

Obvious disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

Chapter 2 – Sticks and Stones

_Tai blinked his eyes slowly, his head feeling clogged and dull. Forcing himself to sit up, he looked around his surroundings. He was on the damp beach of a large muddy pond, surrounded by a dead field. Dark clouds hung in the sky, obscuring the sun. It felt humid, the air wet and sticky on his face._

_He rose unsteadily, feeling sure that he wasn't alone. He brushed the grainy sand off his clothes and began walking, unsure of his destination. Tai was certain that he was in another nightmare, but he couldn't be positive, considering it felt like he was having trouble distinguishing what was real and what wasn't lately._

"_Tai?" _

_Stopping in his tracks, a person appeared before him—_

"_Kari! What are you doing here, are you okay?" Tai quickly asked, worried. It was indeed his sister, looking the same as ever. She frowned at him before taking two quick steps so that she was right in front of him. A smile stretched onto her face as she gently cupped his face._

"_Tai, I always looked up to you. Why would you…?" she coughed, spitting specks of blood on his face. Tai fought the rising bile in his throat. He grabbed her arm._

"_What's wrong Kari? What happened to you?" he demanded. She gagged, looking down. Sticking out of her chest now was a knife. Deep, red blood soaked her shirt and puddled under her shoes. Her quickly darkening eyes looked at Tai searchingly. _

"_Why Taichi?" Tai furiously shook his head._

"_No Kari I didn't—I wouldn't-how could you think...?" as he clenched his hands, he noticed they were slick. He brought his hand up to his face, shaking as he saw the blood dripping from it. He cried out as Kari fell forward, her eyes closed. He took her pulse, knowing he wouldn't find one. _

"_I would never hurt Kari. I would sooner die." Tai reached down, lightly pulling the knife out of Kari's chest. With that he brought the knife to his own throat. He prayed for forgiveness and began to push it down._

"_That is not an option Courage…" a voice whispered scolding him._

_Tai found the blade out of his grasp before he could feel its sharp kiss. Kari was standing again, her eyes hauntingly black and a smirk on her lips. Tai felt anger and relief bubbling in his chest. _

"_You're not Kari! Who are you and why are you doing this? What is this, some sick game to you?" Kari giggled._

"_Oh Courage, of course this is a game. You just haven't been cooperating. Don't you want to play?" _

"_What is this about? Tell me!" Tai demanded. A look of sadness passed onto Kari's face._

"_Courage, I'm very sad that you've made it come to this. You need to realize that nobody loves you. They all hate you and you will destroy them for it." Tai felt disoriented. He knew this wasn't his sister, but it had her appearance and voice, and that was seriously messing with his head._

"_If you're not going to give me any answers then I'm not going to just sit here with you. I know this is a dream and I can wake up dammit." Tai snarled. This time Kari looked angry. Before Tai could even think she was suddenly on him. Kari hit him in the face, far stronger than the real Kari would have been able to. Tai stumbled back from the blow, seeing stars. _

'_Fuck that hurt. I need to get out of here!' he mentally groaned. He didn't have time to recover though before she struck out with her foot, knocking his feet out from under him. Landing hard on his side, he realized how much that kick actually hurt._

'_If this is just a dream…why can I feel pain?' he wondered. Before he could expand on that thought Kari land a series of rough kicks to his back and chest, a maniacal laugh spilling from her mouth as he tried to writhe away from her._

"_Isn't this fun Brother? I think this is much better than kicking a ball around! A ha ha ha! You know, now that I have TK to protect me I don't need you anymore! I mean, I didn't need you much anyway since you weren't exactly good at protecting me in the first place. But now I officially can get you out of my life for good. I'm so happy!"_

_Even knowing that this wasn't his sister, Tai couldn't help but be stung by her words. He had been feeling a bit replaced, and even useless lately. He shook his head._

"_I don't know how you know so much about us, but I'm not going to let you manipulate me with my insecurities. Now get out of my head!" Tai rolled away from her, back on his feet._

_Kari's face soured. _

"_Well then, I guess we'll have to play a new game. I think it's about time we spiced things up a bit. Don't you think Digidestined?" with that said she materialized a needle into her hand. It was small, and contained an oily black substance. Tai eyed her hand nervously._

"_What is that?" He yelped as she snarled and pounced on him. Landing straight on his back, the wind knocked out of him, he was surprised at how heavy she was on him. Her legs pinned his arms to his sides, and he couldn't seem to dislodge her. Kari cackled gleefully as she raised the needle to Tai's neck._

"TAIIIII!" Tai sat up in bed . Poor Koromon, who had previously been sitting on his chest, was launched into the air.

"Whooooahhhh!" he yelped as he started to come back down. Tai managed to catch him, pulling him close.

"Thanks Koromon for waking me up." Sweat clung to his forehead, his already unruly hair sticking up in jagged directions.

"Um Tai, what happened to your face?" Koromon's eyes were narrowed as he scooted closer to Tai's face to scrutinize it. Tai put him aside and dragged himself to the mirror on his wall. Sure he had his now usual bags under his eyes, but he was now sporting a pretty decent bruise on his cheek. He gingerly touched it, testing its tenderness. He frowned in realization.

"Oh no." Koromon gasped as Tai lifted his shirt and twisted to look in the mirror. As he suspected, his torso was also littered in bruises. Tai faced Koromon.

"Koromon, I was attacked in my dream and I felt it. I don't get how I can be hurt in real life from a dream…if I died in one of those dreams would I die here too?" a look of horror twisted Koromon's face.

"Tai no! I can't protect you in your dreams! What do we do?" Tai grabbed his cellphone off his table.

'Hm. It's 4am…there's a chance Izzy's up already.' Tai quickly dialed the number. As expected, Izzy picked up quickly, and skipping pleasantries.

"Tai. Do you have any idea what time it is right now?" Tai grinned.

"Yep. But I knew you would be awake. Listen Izzy, this is really important. Can I come over, I think I need to explain everything in person." Izzy sighed.

"Yeah, of course. I'll leave the front door unlocked so you don't wake my parents. Just come in and lock the door behind you."

"Great, thanks Izzy. See you soon!"

After getting to Izzy's house with Koromon Tai meticulously explained the past month's events, being sure not leave out any details. Izzy sat quietly through the narrative, a worried expression on his face. When Tai finished by showing his bruises he sat back down and let his genius friend digest it all.

"Well what do you think?" He was anxious for a response. Izzy's suddenly twisted his computer chair around and began typing furiously on his computer.

"Shit Tai. I have a program running that alerts me to any Digimon breaching into our world…but that program only picks up major breaches where the Digimon is here for an extended period, which usually signals a threat that needs to be dealt with. If my theory is correct…" he stopped typing and read the screen a moment before turning back to Tai.

"Look at this Tai. It's showing dozens of breaches each week, but they're extremely small—only lasting a few minutes at a time at most so the system never flagged it. Argh, I should have been paying more attention. There is no excuse as to why I didn't catch this!" Izzy looked angry at himself. Tai blinked a moment.

"Soooo…Koromon and I are right? There is a Digimon that's been coming here?" Izzy nodded.

"It matches your story. I don't understand why you're being targeted, or even how they're doing it in the ways they're doing it. None of it makes sense. I think you're in a lot of danger though and that we absolutely need to get the others in the know on this. I'm going to call an emergency meeting for everyone tonight. Would that be okay with you?" Tai sighed in relief.

"Yes, absolutely. I'm so tired and I don't think I can keep doing this indefinitely. I need help. What I don't understand though is that our guard's been down…they could have easily gone after our Digimon in the Digital World. So why didn't they?" Izzy leaned back in his chair.

"I think I can answer that Tai. Our Digimon aren't helpless. They can fight back, and we're alerted to disturbances, especially attacks on our partners, in the Digital World. So if they were attacked we could immediately open a Digiport and lend them our help. On the other hand, we humans are vulnerable. We can't fight back against attacks the way our partners can. It stands to reason that we may make more tempting targets. Actually, come to think of it, you may just be the start of something—we could all be in real danger. I'm going to write Gennai an email and see if he knows anything about this or has additional ideas. You can bunk on my bed and try to get some sleep if you want." Tai held his hands up.

"Um, yeah, no thank you. Not after the nightmare I had before coming over here. I'm going to try to sleep as little as possible. I mean, how the hell am I going to explain this at school?" he indicated his bruised face. Izzy grinned.

"Well it was so unfortunate how those guys tried to mug you last night. Luckily you only had your gym bag on you so you didn't have anything worth stealing. They decided to let you go but roughed you up a bit. You don't look too shabby despite all that though yeah?"

"Izzy, you're brilliant."

"I know."

A few hours later Tai found himself awkwardly deflecting questions about his bruised face from classmates and teachers. He recited the story that Izzy came up with, which seemed to be pretty believable somehow and seemed to satisfy most people's curiosity and concern.

However, Matt, Sora and Mimi managed to corner him in his and Koromon's favorite spot during lunch. Matt crossed his arms in annoyance.

"Okay Tai, spit it out. What's the real story?"

"Yeah, the whole thug theory wasn't half bad, but we all know Koromon would have defended you." Mimi piped up indignantly. Sora sat beside him, putting her hand lightly on his arm.

"It's okay Tai. We're listening. We want to help." Tai sighed and glanced at Koromon, who only shrugged and dug into a sandwich.

"Well it has to do with the emergency meeting Izzy's hosting tonight. I don't want to get into it before then. I'd rather tell everyone at the same time so there isn't a need to repeat myself you know?" Matt eyed Tai up and down.

"Well, bruise aside is this for real an emergency meeting? Because you look fine to me. I had to cancel band practice tonight and they're pissed at me." Sora chimed in.

"And I have to skip tennis. Come on Tai, at least tell us a little bit. I know as the leader you feel like you need to make sure we're all informed about the comings and goings about the Digital World, but sometimes these meetings you keep arranging get to be a little much. We're not kids—we all have lives and are really busy you know? Plus we have the younger kids, Cody and Yoleil and Ken and Davis now to take care of things. Do we all have to be there?" Koromon huffed, his ears pointed back in annoyance.

"This IS an emergency! Everyone is in danger, Tai especially right now! You guys need to take this seriously or someone will get hurt for sure." That got their attention. Mimi gasped, her hand over her heart.

"Danger? All of us? So there's a new evil Digimon or something? Did it hurt you Tai? Oh my gosh this is scary!" Tai rubbed his temples in exasperation.

"See, this is why I didn't want to say anything until later. Just be on guard and make sure you're there tonight okay?" He leaned back against the tree as his friends debated the situation and what they should be doing to prepare for the meeting. Tai felt the warm sun filtering through the branches on his face. He tilted his face toward it, closing his eyes. For the first time in awhile he was having a nice, peaceful moment.

"_Tai!" Sora's voice called to him. He opened his eyes and stretched._

"_What, is lunch over all ready? Hm, I must have drifted off…oh. Fuck." He realized he was not at school, he was now in an empty park. Tai knew that he had fallen asleep. He cursed himself for letting his guard down. All he could do was hope that Koromon would notice and have the others help him wake him up immediately._

"_Tai!" Over on the swings was Sora. Her long hair was down and slightly wavy, the famous hairclip he had bought her years back pinning it neatly to the side. She was wearing her school uniform still._

"_Hey goofball, come swing with me!" Tai clenched his fists._

"_I'm not an idiot! You're not Sora and I'm not doing this again with you. Let me go!" A flash of confusion and hurt flashed across her face._

"_Tai? What's wrong? You're the one who invited me here at lunch for after school. You wanted to hang out before the meeting you know. Boy, you really need to get more sleep!" Tai wracked his brain. Did that happen? He couldn't remember. Feeling a little confused, but still on guard, he took a swing next to her. They swayed back and forth, their feet lightly grazing the ground. Sora smiled at him. He quickly looked away. She still took his breath away._

"_Tai, remember how we used to come here as kids so much to play soccer? Those are some of my favorite memories."_

"_Sora-"_

"_No Tai let me finish. I know I haven't been the best friend lately. I have not been a good keeper of the Crest of Love. I wanted to apologize. You've been struggling so much and I have barely noticed. I don't know what I would do without you. Forgive me?" She looked at him pleadingly, slightly biting her lower lip anxiously._

_Tai had no idea what to say. This seemed so real. Sora looked genuinely upset with herself. But what if it was all just a trick? But didn't the evil whatever it was usually try to tear him down, using his loved one's faces to attack him? Sora was apologizing to him. _

"_Um, I'm not mad you Sora. But I think we need to leave and go to the meeting now." She nodded._

"_Okay, but first I wanted to give you something." She pulled up a package she had set by her on the ground. Tai held his breath as she opened it and handed it to him._

"_Look, it's the cookies I promised you at Christmas!" she laughed, a look of pride on her face._

"_I made a few of your favorites. I hope you like them!" Tai hesitantly took them. _

"_Thank you Sora." He looked down at the package in his hands. This was exactly what he had been hoping for-he wanted all the awkwardness with Sora to disappear; he longed for his best friend back. But…it was all too good to be true, too perfect. It was then that Tai noticed that Sora wasn't in front of him anymore. Sora's voice hissed behind his ear, sending an icy chill deep into his heart._

"_Glad you like the gift Courage." She grabbed him into a head lock, tilting his face up. He gagged and struggled, but her grip was iron clad. Sora dipped her face down, pushing her lips against his. Tai tried to turn his head away, but she was unrelenting. He felt his energy diminish, and he slumped into her arms. She stroked his hair a moment, before gripping it forcefully and jerking his head aside. He saw that damned needle in her fist but was powerless to stop it. _

"_I'm not just playing with your insecurities Digidestined, I also know your hopes and dreams."_

_With that she drove the needle into his neck and plunged its contents into him, his mouth opening in a silent scream. She let him go, allowing him to fall to the ground. Tai couldn't even move, he was paralyzed with pain. His neck was burning, and he could feel the pain spreading through his body._

His eyes flew open, and he forced his aching body up defensively.

"Tai! It's just us!" Tai's vision was blurred, but a few moments of concentrating and his friends swam into view. Koromon was bouncing around, visibly upset.

"Tai I told them to wake you up but they wouldn't listen and said I should just let you sleep but then you were groaning and struggling and we couldn't wake you up and then you started choking and I was afraid you would die!" he gasped for breath. Tai scooped his little partner up and held him tight, trying to figure out if we was awake or not. His neck throbbed and his body felt weak.

"Dude you look pretty sick. I think we need to take you to the nurse right away." Matt declared. Mimi agreed. Sora raised her hand to Tai's forehead to check for a fever, but he visibly flinched and dodged her.

Tai felt like he was on the verge of a panic attack. He couldn't be sure he was awake or trapped in a dream again. After what just happened he wasn't about to let Sora get close to him again. That was a mistake he would not repeat.

"I'm going to Izzy's for the rest of the day!" he announced. Before anyone could argue he tucked Koromon under his arm, slung his bag over his shoulder and jogged away.

Koromon wiggled urgently.

"Tai what if someone sees me! I can get back in your bag." Tai shook his head.

"No. I don't care right now. Pretend you're a toy or something, or don't. I don't care. I need you with me to be sure I'm awake." Koromon nestled into Tai's ribs.

"Okay. I don't mind Tai."

Tai was feeling a bit better as he made his way through the crowded streets. He was awake. That was what mattered at the moment. He finally arrived at Izzy's. Tai felt lucky that Izzy had stayed home for the day to research the situation more and try to contact Gennai.

He knocked lightly on the door, fanning his face a bit.

"Koromon, does it feel kind of hot out to you? I need some cold water I think. Whew." Koromon arched an eyebrow.

"Tai your face is sort of red. I think you're the one that's hot." Izzy then opened the door.

"Oh, guys. I didn't think you'd be here right now. Come on in."

Izzy got Tai the coveted tall glass of icy cold water, seeing how flushed he looked.

"Tai, you look even worse now then you did this morning. Did something happen?" Tai chugged the whole glass, wiped his mouth off and asked if he could have another glass. As Izzy retrieved it Tai filled him in.

"I'm frustrated Izzy. I know they didn't know, but I wish they had trusted Koromon and listened to him. I feel like that crazy Sora did get me with something. I'm all itchy and achy."

"Here Tai, let me see your neck where you said she stabbed you in your dream." Tai sat down and tilted his head. Izzy made a face.

"Man Tai. It looks like you got bit by something. Your neck is a bit red and swollen. You weren't joking." Tai lightly batted Izzy's hand away.

"Well, whatever. Anyway, did you ever reach Gennai?"

A light 'ping' echoed throughout the empty house. Izzy beckoned Tai to follow into his room as he pulled up to his computer.

"Well speak of the devil. This is a message from Gennai now….well this sounds like really bad news." Tai was perplexed.

"What is it Izzy?" Izzy looked at him gravely.

"I think we need to call everyone to come here as soon as possible for this."


	4. Chapter 3 The Meeting

Author's Note—

First, I apologize for the delay to get this out. Second, it's a short chapter. I needed a transition chapter to set up some of the action that's to come. More to come next week!

Thanks for the feedback. I do agree that Izzy is being the more practical of the Digidestined right now. But, they're teenagers. Teenagers are jerks. Lol. But they can still get their act together.

There also seems to be a consensus that a Tai/Mimi romance would be favorable. I like them together I decided. I think it will be fun to develop Mimi's character a bit more as well, since she's been a only a small side character so far. It won't be the main part of the story, but it'll be a nice side plot.

One other note—In this story the general population is not aware that Digimon exist. I'm just going to say that after the first season when the kids returned home that everyone else's memories were erased/altered. Because I think the existence of another world with dangerous creatures that can bust into ours wouldn't be taken with a grain of salt, so I think it was dumb to just gloss over that in the series and act like the world's governments wouldn't have a total freakout.

Onward to the next chapter.

I don't own Digimon.

Chapter 3 - The Meeting

Tai obnoxiously leaned over Izzy to get a view of the screen. He squinted to read the message Gennai had sent.

_Izzy,_

_Thanks for contacting me. I was distressed to hear about what was happening to Tai in the real world. I did some investigating here and the news is not good. I had been hearing reports here and there of perfectly normal vaccine-type Digimon changing into virus types. They weren't necessarily going berserk and doing damage though, so we've just been watching the situation to see if we could trace the source. Some of my contacts relayed to me this morning news of a significant threat. There is a Digimon here, a very powerful one, that has not been seen or heard of before. From what we can gather he actually came to the Digital World from the Dark Ocean. We're still confirming these reports, so take some of this with a grain of salt. What we know for sure is that this Digimon is the one that has the ability to reconfigure Digimon's data. We still have no idea where he is based at or what his agenda is. Based on the timeline of events I would venture to believe it's no coincidence what is happening in your world. _

_I'm going to see what else I can find out. I'll be in touch. It may be safer for you all to stay put in your world for now until there is more information._

_- Gennai_

"Uh Tai you're squishing my head!" Izzy protested. Tai quickly apologized and stepped back.

"So this didn't tell us much. New threat, as usual."

"But Tai, this is different. This Digimon isn't merely controlling other Digimon with a black gear or ring or other mechanism. It's completely changing the Digimon into virus types. That's permanent. Our Digimon that are still there could be in danger. Plus this Digimon can apparently come into our world with ease. This is pretty serious."

Tai could tell that Izzy was worried about Tentomon, and he couldn't blame him. If Koromon wasn't with him he'd be a nervous wreck. Izzy was back on his computer before Tai could respond.

"I'm sending a mass text and email to everyone telling them to come here immediately after school ends instead of later tonight."

"Izzy do you know why Tai has injuries from his sleep?" Koromon piped up. He had a serious look on his face, his red eyes slightly narrowed. Izzy rubbed his neck thoughtfully.

"If I had to form a hypothesis, it would be that these are not merely dreams that Tai is having. I believe that they're actually a type of attack that is being used on Tai. So when he is physically injured asleep, he is injured in real life as well. Similar to how we have to be careful in the Digital World since we have be actually harmed there." Tai suddenly looked perplexed.

"Say Izzy. I don't think I am understanding their end game here. If, whoever this Digimon is, is targeting us Digidestined, and they can harm us easily either awake or asleep…why haven't they done so yet? Don't they want us out of the way? Why not just kill us?" Izzy bit his lip.

"Damn. That's a really good point Tai. I guess this means that destroying us is not the main objective—since they could have accomplished that already at this point. That means that there is another reason for the attacks on you, which doesn't make much sense. Um, Tai, are you okay?" Izzy tilted his head, concern in his eyes.

Tai was looking flushed and lightly fanning his face.

"I'm fine. I just feel like it's a bit toasty in here. Whew, maybe open a window or something dude." Izzy did not look convinced. He opened his mouth to say so when the doorbell rang.

"Looks like everyone is starting to get here. Tai go get another glass of water and sit down a bit. You look terrible." Tai rolled his eyes but did as he was told-he was thirsty after all.

Everyone pretty much arrived at the same time. As everyone got situated they talked amongst themselves. Mimi sat herself next to Tai, a frown on her face. She put her wrist up to his forehead, drawing it back swiftly as he shot her an odd look.

"Goodness Tai, you're burning up! I think you have a fever. Are you going to be telling us how you got that bruise? Because between that, the bags under your eyes and this fever I'm a bit freaked out right now." Tai smiled warmly at her.

"Thanks for the concern Mimi, but don't worry about me. Izzy will start as soon as Matt and Sora get here. I'm not really up to doing a question and answer session tonight you know?"

"Oh that is understandable. Sorry if I was pestering you for answers." She giggled nervously. Tai could tell she was extremely worried, and he was happy that she didn't press him for answers. She suddenly beamed at him.

"Hey I know! I'm going to make you some homemade chicken soup tonight. Don't give me that look! I can actually cook now you know. You'll be feeling better in no time with my help. I'll even make you my grandma's Special Elixir to drink. Now that will kick the fever right out of you!" Mimi gave Tai a cute wink.

"Er, thanks Mimi. I had no idea you could cook now. I'd love that actually, my mom's cooking is more likely to make me more sick instead of better so anything would be amazing!" Tai had never really thought much of the pink obsessed girl, so he was surprised (and impressed) by her offer. Thinking about it, Tai realized that for all the years he had known Mimi, he didn't know her very well. Perhaps this would be a good opportunity to find out more about her.

"Hey sorry we're late. We had to take care of a few things since this was so last minute." Sora and Matt had arrived. Izzy sighed impatiently and motioned for everyone to take a seat.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice everyone. We have quite a critical issue to discuss that is current primarily effecting Tai here, but could switch in a heartbeat to the rest of us." Now that he had their attention, Izzy went over the facts of the past month—Tai's night terrors, the mysterious figure, his program showing a Digimon entering their world numerous times, Tai's physical injuries and the email from Gennai.

There was a stunned silence when he concluded his summary. All eyes in the room landed on Tai questioningly. Joe was the first to speak.

"Tai? Why did you wait so long to tell anyone? This is really serious!" Tai yawned and rubbed his eyes. The long day was taking a toll on him.

"Well Joe, I didn't say anything because until Izzy was able to connect with Gennai the whole thing sounded nuts. Bad dreams? Seeing things? Voices in my head? I thought I was losing it at first, so I didn't see a point in worrying everyone and make them think I'm going crazy too."

Yolei jumped up, a deep frown on her face.

"That's because this IS crazy! I mean, it's one thing to go fight in the Digital World against some crazy Digimon, it's a whole other ball game for them to come here and secretly attack us. I mean, what if they go after our families too? I didn't sign up for any of that!" This was an idea that hadn't been yet considered.

Tai sighed and shook his head.

"You guys, this has never been a game or something. We've had a lot of close calls in our time as Digidestined. Every time we fought an enemy was another risk to our personal safety. Plus we've been fighting them for years—we had to expect that other Digimon would learn from the mistakes of others that have lost against us right?"

Sora was the next to speak, softly but with authority.

"So what exactly do we do? This…enemy seems to know everything about us and is targeting accordingly. I think it makes sense that Tai would be taken out first. He's always been our leader—the glue holding us together. Even after the younger kids took over. I still don't get why they haven't just destroyed us since they obviously have the opportunity and surprise on their side." Surprisingly, it was Mimi that interjected, clutching her hands tightly into fists.

"Isn't it obvious guys? The creep behind this doesn't want to just wipe us out…they want to enjoy it. They want to see us suffer. They're probably getting a big laugh out of it." Sora faltered at Mimi's statement.

"But, that's just sick. Sadistic. Who would do that?" Sora shook her head thinking about it. Izzy shrugged.

"Well, that's the million dollar question isn't it? I have to admit though, that Mimi's theory intrigues me. Perhaps we're even dealing with an old enemy with a grudge? Anyway, Gennai wants us to stay put for now, he thinks it's too risky to go to the Digital World right now-but that leaves us with what we should do in the meantime while he gathers intel on what we're dealing with."

This time Davis stood.

"Well I don't agree with Gennai! We're supposed to just wait around and hope this evil whatever thing doesn't go after-or even kill Tai or the rest of us? I say we just go hunt it down ourselves. It's time we go on the offensive. Plus if we're all with our Digimon we'll be less vulnerable!" He finished his passionate speech with a fist pump in the air. TK fiddled with his hat, looking less then convinced.

"Davis, the Digital World won't be safer—that's the enemy's turf. We're at a complete disadvantage at this point. We have no clue what we're dealing with, or even if there's more than one enemy like when we faced the Dark Masters. I vote that we wait to hear back from Gennai."

Others jumped into the debate, everyone wanting to have their say. As everyone attempted to talk over each other Mimi cast a glance at Tai. He was a bit on the pale side, but he seemed to be paying close attention to the conversation at hand, Koromon perched on his lap. She was surprised that he hadn't spoken more, but then again he had said that he was exhausted. Mimi put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a warm smile when he turned.

"You holding up okay Tai? It's been a long meeting." He gave a small nod, but then tensed up, along with Koromon.

Tai ignored her this time. He had heard that oily voice whisper yet again. Except this time, he noticed that the lights were flickering softly.

"Guys, quiet down! I think we have company." He hissed. Everyone froze as the lights continued to flicker. A penetrating coldness encompassed the room. Yolei stomped toward the door.

"That's it, I have had it with all this nonsense. I am out of here!" She then screeched as Izzy's door slammed shut in her face. Matt quickly ran to the door, and gave a frustrated growl as he tried to force it back open.

"Dammit, the door is stuck. You never told me your house was haunted Izzy!" Izzy scratched his head.

"That's because it isn't. I do not believe that we are experiencing a supernatural occurrence."

Tai was standing with an angry looking Koromon at his feet, his Digivice tightly clutched in his hand.

"Are you finally going to show yourself?" he demanded.

"Who is Tai talking to?" Cody whispered to Sora. Tai ignored them, he knew exactly who was in the room with them. It seemed like it wanted to make itself known to all of them. On the bright side, Tai felt reenergized and ready to go. He was feeling protective of his friends and was determined to keep them safe.

A light beeping caught everyone's attention. Izzy was looking at his computer, looking baffled as random numbers filled the screen.

"Uh, guys…" he managed to get out. His screen was crackling and sparking.

"Izzy I think your computer may need to be rebooted." Davis chirped helpfully as Izzy shot him a glare.

"My computer is fine thank you. The problem is whatever is trying to get through it!" Everyone whipped around open-mouthed.

"WHAT?" The little in-training Digimon quickly assembled, making sure their partners were safely behind them.

Sure enough, the portal to the Digital World was up, furiously blinking on the screen. Izzy backed up cautiously, not having the luxury of having Tentomon there to protect him from any danger that could appear.

As he stepped back, Koromon and Tai inched forward. They had exchanged a look, silently deciding that they needed to be sure to protect their friends.

A bright flash erupted with a piercing shriek from the computer. As the light retreated, the Digidestined blinked their eyes, trying to adjust their vision quickly.

"What happened?" Joe called out, his eyes squinting.

Materializing in front of them was a wispy dark figure, nearly translucent. It was similar to the creature Tai and Koromon had been seeing, except this one appeared to be more a figment rather a solid being. It wore an all-black cloak and hood that concealed its face and limbs, which swirled about like fog. Matt shot Izzy a dirty look, who responded with one of his own.

"Matt, that is NOT a ghost! That is obviously a Digimon." It stood there, appearing to study them. Nobody moved, unsure of the next course of action to take.

Then it seemed to solidify. Tan human arms reached out of the folds of the cloak and lifted the hood off, revealing a handsome young man and creating quite the reaction in the room.

"GENNAI?!"


	5. Chapter 4 - Infection

Author's Note—

First of all, I'm really sorry for such a late update. I had a family crisis and the past 2 weeks have been a bit rough for me. I've had trouble concentrating and just being put together.

Anyway.

Thank you all for the kind, encouraging reviews, I appreciate you taking the time to write in with your comments. I also wanted to thank everyone who is reading.

Also, I scanned back through the chapters and am cringing at the little typos/errors I keep finding. I'm sorry about that, I will try to catch them all before uploading. I keep rushing and its showing.

Onward to the next chapter.

I don't own Digimon.

**Chapter 4 - Infection**

The Digidestined gaped at the man standing before them. He grinned, a look of amusement on his face. He gave a small wave.

"Hey kids. Sorry about just popping in like this—I won't be able to stay long, as I don't know how long I can keep my form here. I technically shouldn't be able to exist like this here, so I'm sort of doing an experiment. Heh."

Izzy was the first to speak.

"Uh, Gennai, just why are you here? You said you'd be in touch..?"

"Well I needed to bring you all something in person—and it isn't safe for you all to come to the Digital World so something had to be done. I can answer your questions later but for now, all you original Digidestined, except for Kari and TK, please hold up your Digivices." Gennai's image faded a moment, and then solidified again.

"Hurry up, we don't have a lot of time." He urged. Mimi, Joe, Tai, Izzy, Matt and Sora all held up their Digivices. Gennai produced a small object from his robes. Holding it out with one hand, it began to glow. Everyone watched curiously as shots of light burst from the object, enveloping each Digivice held toward it. The light retracted, revealing the Digivices had changed. They had a similar shape to the new models, except these were slim, all a sleek silver with a thin colored strip creating a border around the front, each Digidestined's specific crests etched on the back in the same color as the border. Joe's was a dark gray, Matt's an icy blue, Izzy's a deep purple, Mimi's a light green, Sora's red and Tai's was bright orange.

"You upgraded their Digivices? How are theirs different from ours?" Ken asked Gennai in awe.

"They're not much different actually. I'm sure these new models have many capabilities, but I haven't had much time to check all the information out. I'd say that these Digivices will help even out the playing field. Now that you are all prepared I would say you can now go back to the Digital World and be reasonably safe."

Sora fiddled with her new Digivice, turning it over in her hands. She glanced up at Gennai, biting her lip slightly.

"Gennai, did you find out any more information? What about what's happening to Tai?" Izzy asked.

Gennai smiled sheepishly.

"Well to be honest I was so busy planning my visit here to upgrade your Digivices that I haven't had time to look into any new leads." He knit his eyebrows together seriously suddenly.

"To be honest though, it would be in your best interest to just come with me now."

"The Digital World? Gennai, are us older Digidestined really needed for this? Is it necessary for ALL of us to go? Especially right this moment?" Sora huffed. Tai surprisingly nodded across from her.

"I sort of agree with Sora for the moment. Well, I think that a smaller group should go and check things out, but not right now. We need to be smart about this and make a plan, prepare and get some supplies." Gennai frowned and shook his head.

"No! You all must go as soon as possible. All of you. It is absolutely essential."

Thinking about going to the Digital World sent a chill down Tai's spine. He wasn't sure why, but he had a very strong sense of foreboding about going. He felt vulnerable, tired and in pain. His body was sore and he had a massive headache. He set his expression though and stayed firm.

"No offense Gennai, but that is just your opinion. I say we need a plan. Plus, I don't think I am personally going to go. I am not in any condition to hike around the Digital World, let alone fight anyone right now. Plus we need to make arrangements with our families, school and such since we don't know how long this will take. I do think we need to get the rest of our Digimon here though to make sure they're safe." Tai gave a nod toward Izzy, who smiled gratefully.

Gennai turned back to the computer, raising his hand toward it. He gave the Digidestined one more glance as light began to engulf him.

"Do what you want, but I think you'll find you won't have a choice anymore. Good luck, Courage."

A moment later he was gone, leaving everyone blinking quizzically. Mimi immediately cleared her throat.

"Well, now that that is settled, I agree with Tai's plan of retrieving the rest of our partners. I think we'd be safer with them here anyway."

"I must agree. However, until tomorrow I think everyone should stay the night here. My parents are out of town for the next week, so it isn't a big deal. There is plenty of room, and you all are welcome to help yourselves in the kitchen." Izzy said. Yolei made a face.

"You want us to stay the night Izzy? I think I'd rather just go home right now."

"I think we should listen to him Yolei. It's safer for us to stick together tonight okay?" Ken flashed her a smile, which seemed to shut her up quickly.

"Guys? Is it just me or was Gennai…different? I can't believe he came here. I don't know, something feels off." TK was shifting nervously in place. Kari spoke up next.

"Yeah, and what was up with the grim reaper outfit? So weird."

"I agree. But you know what? I'm SO HUNGRY. Can we talk about this later?" Davis complained.

"I'm hungry too. Let's whip up some food and then we can formulate a plan." Joe announced.

As everyone cheered and piled into the kitchen, nobody noticed in the frenzy Tai slumped over, asleep. Koromon was in his lap, eyes closed and mouth open.

_His feet pounded the hard ground, small clouds of dust dancing in his footsteps. He gasped for breath as he felt his lungs burning and his muscles screaming, but he didn't dare slow down. Tai could barely see in front of him, small torches flickered on the walls, giving him a glimpse through the darkness._

_He was in a tunnel or cave. The walls were damp, the air thick and musty._

_Tai finally slowed to a stop, hunched forward with his hands on his knees. His ears were ringing, sweat poured down his face. He licked his chapped lips and chanced a glance over his shoulder. It was quiet. He struggled to soften his heavy breathing, when his blood ran cold._

_He heard it again. Somewhere in the darkness behind him. A loud, dull scraping sound. It was like something was dragging itself toward him._

_Tai had no idea what it was that was following him, but every fiber in his being screamed that he couldn't find out, that it was something so horrible that he needed to avoid it at all costs._

_Tai took a deep breath, trying to regain control._

_Scrape. Scrape. Scrape._

_Pure terror nearly paralyzed him, but Tai managed to swallow his fear and propel himself forward. His legs felt like jelly, but he forced himself on. He had no other choice._

_The cave seemed to be sloping upwards. Tai felt encouraged, hoping he was heading toward some sort of exit. On the other hand, the hilly incline was taking its toll._

"_Shit!" Tai stepped on a rock, his ankle twisting and throwing him off balance. Unable to stop his momentum Tai fell to the dirt, hard. He laid there for a moment, stunned. _

_Scrape._

_Scrape._

_Tai rolled himself onto his hands and knees and pushed himself up and into a sprint. No matter how fast he ran, the thing following him kept pace. Up ahead, the path twisted to the right, creating a spark of hope in Tai for a way out._

"_Oh no. No no no! Shit." A dead end. There was no way forward. No side tunnel. No doors. Nothing._

_Scrape._

_Tai squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to hyperventilate, his heart feeling like it would burst out of his chest. His ears were ringing, and he felt dizzy. He waited. Silence._

_What…?_

_He steeled himself and turned around to finally face his adversary. Tai squinted his eyes, peering into the shadows._

_Not seeing anything, Tai felt puzzled. He took a wary step forward. He thought he may have seen something, but the lighting made it difficult to tell. Then his breath caught in his throat._

_Staring back at him through the darkness was a face._

Kari smiled as TK grabbed some plates.

"Wow Kari, this looks fantastic. Breakfast for dinner—brilliant."

"Well I thought pancakes would be the easiest and quickest thing to whip up! Add some bacon and eggs and you have a complete healthy meal."

They noticed Mimi humming as she stirred some concoction together at the counter.

"Whatcha making Mimi?" Kari asked curiously. Mimi held up what looked like iced tea.

"My Grandma's Special Elixir. It's for Tai—he seems under the weather and this will perk him up for sure!" Kari and TK exchanged looks.

"Um, that isn't anything like the "healthy" drinks my mother likes to make is it?" Kari asked cautiously. Mimi twirled around on one foot to leave, drink in hand.

"Not a chance! This is pure gold, I guarantee it! Hm, Tai isn't in here or the living room with the others…he must still be in Izzy's room. Be right back." With a wink Mimi paraded to Izzy's room.

As Mimi stopped in the doorway, she stuck her head in to announce what she brought. She squeaked as Koromon smacked Tai in the face. He had been slumped over, but was now sitting up, fist grabbing his chest tightly. She immediately swooped in and tilted his face toward her as she searched it for any signs of injuries.

"Tai? Did you fall asleep? Are you okay?"

"We both did! But I woke up and Tai was moving weird in his sleep so I knew I had to wake him up before it got bad." Koromon informed her. Tai gently pushed her hand away, but he tried to give her a smile.

"I'm okay Mimi, really." The haunted look in his eyes and his heavy breathing told her otherwise. His eyes were still darting around, searching for something. She pushed the drink she was carrying into his hands, which she silently noted were now all scraped up and dirty, when they hadn't been previously.

"Whatever you say Tai, but drink this anyway. It will make you feel better. No arguments!" Tai was thirsty anyway, so he as he was told. He had to admit though that the drink was tasty. Cold, slightly herbal and refreshing.

"Thank you Mimi, this drink is great. I'm sorry I worried you—and you too Koromon. This dream was different than the others. I think it's the scariest dream I have ever had in my life actually." He said without prompting. Mimi didn't want to interrupt and chance him clamming up, so she just settled next to him instead and gently grasped his hands in support.

They sat there in a comfortable silence for a moment.

"Ahem. Um, guys, dinner is ready and so yeah if you want some food you better come and get it before the Digimon and Davis eat it all." Sora was now in the doorway, looking a bit uncomfortable. Mimi and Tai glanced down at their hands still intertwined and quickly retracted them, a blush appearing on their faces. Tai gave a forced laugh and rubbed his head before standing and stretching.

"Right. Thanks for telling us Sora. Come on Mimi, I'm hungry." He helped her up as Koromon bounded ahead of them.

"I'm not going to be last this time!"

As everyone grabbed a plate and dug into the food, Izzy took the lead on organizing a plan of action. After a bite of pancake he sipped some milk before addressing everyone again, his smaller laptop in front of him.

"So I think we're all in agreement yeah? Tomorrow after school, since it's Friday, Davis and Yolei can take a couple of us older Digidestined to the Digital World to retrieve the rest of our partners. Our partners may have more information on what is going on in the Digital World. We can create a strategy on investigating everything else once that is accomplished."

Mumbles of agreement met his idea.

"Now who else is going to go tomorrow?"

"I want to go! I'm anxious to see Palmon." Mimi was the first to volunteer.

"Okay, now who else—" Izzy was cut off when a high pitched noise reverberated through the house. The Digidestined screamed and covered their ears. The noise wasn't just loud, it felt like it was physically pulsating through them, making them feel like they were being ripped apart. Their Digivices were glowing and vibrating.

Then just like that, it was gone.

"Digiport OPEN!" a voice called out.

Before anyone could recover, a bright light filled the room.

"Koromon!" Tai managed to grab ahold of his partner before he felt the ground disappear under him and felt himself tumbling into oblivion.

Traveling to the Digital World was always a crazy process. Flying through digital space at high speeds, swirls of color everywhere and then finally the usual crash landing.

This time though Tai somehow managed to land on his feet and avoid being the cushion to break everyone else's fall.

"Is everyone all right?" Tai noticed that everyone was accounted for. Davis held his head.

"Owwww. What? How? Who did that?" Ken nodded beside him.

"I distinctly heard someone open the Digiport…"

"But that shouldn't have transported ALL of us here." Izzy argued.

"Uh, guys." Mimi was looking around.

"I don't see a Digiport to go back home through." Tai suddenly had a bad feeling overcome him. Izzy whipped open his laptop that had made it through with him.

"Well this isn't good. I can't find any access points."

"Say what?" Davis blinked. Izzy sighed in frustration.

"I mean that we're stuck here for now. There aren't any Digiports. It's not that they're even closed. They're just gone."

"Can you email Gennai?" TK asked. Izzy began typing rapidly. Tai frowned as he looked around.

"Hey Agumon, where are we?" He realized he didn't recognize their location at all. Agumon shook his head.

"I have no idea Tai. This is weird. It doesn't feel right."

"Heyyy!" Some voices echoed. Looking up the Digidestined were thrilled to see the rest of their partners running to them. Gomamon, Gabumon, Biyomon and Palmon were all together.

Tai sighed.

"Well at least we landed in a convenient area." He smiled as the Digimon reunited with their partners.

"Guys! This is actually perfect. Gennai's place is close to here. He says to come on over."

Within half an hour the large group was approaching Gennai's lake. Except, the whole place was different. There was now a small pond in the middle of a grassy open field. The water looked murky and slick. Tai's stomach lurched as a feeling of déjà vu overcame him. There was no way…

"Izzy, not to question your GPS, but are you sure this is it? I'm pretty sure it didn't look like this before." Joe observed. Izzy shook his head adamantly.

"No guys. This is it. I let him know we are here though so…"

"Welcome Digidestined! I hope that your trip here was pleasant. I'm glad you came earlier than expected." Suddenly standing before them was Gennai, still garbed in his black robe.

Tai was the first to speak.

"Gennai, what happened to your home? This, this doesn't look right. And do you know who brought us here?" Gennai smiled widely.

"Why Courage, you don't like the change? I'm rather fond of it myself. Isn't it just a lovely little pond? Can't you imagine just walking around with your sister for a stroll?"

Tai felt himself starting to shake.

"Shut up! You're not Gennai! Tell us who you are right now." The others looked startled, mouths dropping open as they looked between Tai and Gennai, who just continued to smile.

"I suppose now is a good time as any to tell you. I am Gennai, I'm not a fake or a Digimon in disguise. I am different though from our last get together. I'm stronger. I was infected by a virus and my data was changed, or perhaps completely rewritten." He gave a casual shrug, as if discussing the weather.

"This whole area has been infected actually. Don't look so horrified. It's not a bad thing. While previous dark Digimon brought suffering, my master is seeking to bring peace, not war, to the Digital War. This will bring unity to all."

Sora pointed an accusing finger at Gennai.

"You're working for the enemy now?! Are you the one that brought us here? Why are the portals closed?"

Gennai's smile twisted into a smirk.

"Because, Sora. The Digital World needs its Digidestined. We can't have you all leaving now before things even get interesting can we? And no, I'm not the one that brought you here."

Davis growled and recklessly raced up to Gennai, roughly grabbing him by the scruff of his robe, Veemon at his heels.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You better explain yourself right now!"

"Davis stop!"

"You idiot get away from him now!"

Nobody moved for a moment as Davis and Gennai stared each other down. Gennai gave a loud sigh ran a hand through his hair.

"You really are going to be a pain. You have potential though. Let's not waste it eh?"

With that he raised a pointed finger upwards, Davis watching in puzzlement and backed away as everyone ran toward him, yelling in warning.

A baseball-sized glowing black orb formed at Gennai's fingertip. As Davis raised his Digivice, calling Veemon to Digivolve, Gennai closed the gap between them and pushed the orb into Davis's chest.

Gennai vanished, reappearing just above the pond.

"Well kids, I have to get going for now. I'll be seeing you soon for sure though!" He have a friendly wave as his form dissipated.

Yolei quickly reached Davis.

"Davis you blockhead! Are you okay?" Davis gagged, clutching his chest. He let out a horrible, agonized scream before collapsing.


End file.
